Software
Signage software: what you should really choose by
The feature list is similar across all systems. The difference shows in everyday use – with the people who maintain the content.
Every digital signage software can handle images, videos and schedules. Anyone who chooses by feature list buys past the need. After dozens of installations it is always the same four questions that decide.
Who maintains the content?
If a member of staff at reception is supposed to change the menu of the day, the interface has to be as simple as a text field. If a marketing department plans campaigns across thirty sites, it needs permissions, approvals and templates. Both in one system is possible, but rarely equally good.
Does it run without a player?
Systems that run directly on the screen save devices, cables and sources of error. Samsung MagicInfo and LG SuperSign use the computer in the display. For elaborate content – several layers, live data, interaction – an external player such as BrightSign is nevertheless the more stable choice.
What happens in a fault?
The interesting question is not whether a screen fails, but how you find out. Good systems report themselves when a device is offline and can be restarted remotely. Without that function somebody drives out – and that costs more than the licence.
What does it cost over five years?
Licence models differ greatly: one-off purchase per device, subscription per device per month, or free with restrictions. Calculated over five years the order often reverses. We calculate both before anyone signs.
Our recommendation in brief
- One to ten screens, simple content: system in the display, low licence costs.
- Several sites, several editorial teams: platform with permissions and approvals.
- Live data, interaction, special formats: external player and custom application.
The five-year calculation
An example from practice: ten screens, one editorial team, weekly content changes.
- System in the display with one-off licence: higher purchase, then only maintenance. Over five years the cheapest option.
- Subscription per device per month: low entry, more expensive than the one-off purchase after three years, but always up to date.
- Free solution with external player: cheap to buy, but time spent on every fault. The saved licence is used up after two service calls.
What to watch in contracts
Two points deserve a second look. First: what happens to the content when the contract ends – can it be exported? Second: how long does the manufacturer guarantee updates for the devices? For displays with a built-in system that decides the service life.
Our role in this
We do not sell licences for their own sake. In roughly every third project we end up recommending the smaller solution, because the need does not exceed it. That is uncomfortable in the quote and pleasant in operation.
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